How the Saints 53-man roster might shape up after the 2022 NFL Draft

Now that the New Orleans Saints‘ 2022 NFL Draft is in the rearview mirror, it’s time to examine who is most likely to make the final roster for the upcoming season.

Unlike years past, the Saints actually have nearly 20 million dollars in cap space to add to the roster post-draft as desired before the recent signing of fan favorite Tyrann Mathieu.

Let’s look at an early 53-man roster projection by position with a focus on where the Saints could possibly add other free agents prior to the start of the season.

Quarterbacks

Jameis Winston, Andy Dalton, Ian Book

This one is fairly obvious, especially after the team didn’t add a signal-caller in the draft.

The Saints have spent this offseason working on surrounding Winston with the needed talent to better evaluate his fit with the team and hopefully make another Super Bowl run. Unlike last year, Dalton provides a steady veteran presence both on and off the field as a seasoned backup.

Running Backs

Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram, Dwayne Washington, Adam Prentiss, Tony Jones Jr.*

The looming suspension of Alvin Kamara makes this an ideal position for the Saints to upgrade via free agency after the draft. The roster spot of Dwayne Washington or Tony Jones J. likely will be replaced by the time the season rolls around.

The name that would bring a smile to the face of LSU and Saints fans alike would be former Kansas City running back Darrel Williams. A homecoming would make sense for Williams.

Other potential free agent running backs for the Saints to consider would be Peyton Barber, Jerick McKinnon, or Sony Michel. Also keep an eye on undrafted free agent running back Abram Smith from Baylor given the Saints history of success with UDFA RBs in the past.